Padworth: Difference between revisions

'''Padworth''' is a [[dispersed settlement|lightly populated locality]] and [[civil parishes in England|civil parish]] in the [[England|English]] county of [[Berkshire]], the nearest town to which is [[Tadley]]. Padworth is in the [[unitary authority]] of [[West Berkshire]] and its main settlement is at [[Aldermaston Wharf]] or Lower Padworth where it has [[Aldermaston railway station]]. It has its southern boundary with [[Mortimer West End]], [[Hampshire]]. The south of the parish is wooded towards its edges and the north of the parish is agricultural with a hotel beside the [[Kennet and Avon Canal]]. In the centre of the parish is a school, [[Padworth College]], which is a [[Georgian architecture|Georgian]] and later incarnation of its [[manor house]].

The two -halves of the parish can be separated and named:

*''Lower Padworth'' or [[Aldermaston Wharf]], most concentrated along the [[A4 road (Great Britain)|A4 Bath Road]] —– this area has the vast majority of homes. It is where built-up a [[nucleated village]] and [[low rise]] locality.

Lower Padworth has [[Aldermaston railway station]]. Padworth has its southern boundary with [[Mortimer West End]], [[Hampshire]]. The south of the parish is wooded towards its edges and the north of the parish is agricultural with a hotel beside the [[Kennet and Avon Canal]].

A 'fishery in the Kenette' was among the possessions of the manor in 1586, and a fishery is mentioned as early as 1378. There is a [[Scheduled Ancient Monument]] fish-pond north of the independent school (former manor). In 1870 its real property was valued at £1,839 ({{Inflation|UK|1839|1870|fmt=eq|cursign=£}} in general expenditure) while its population was much smaller than today, 298, living in 59 houses.<ref>[http://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/place/5683 Imperial Gazetteer of Great Britain] (1870-721870–72, London) [[John Marius Wilson]] from visionofbritain.org.uk &mdash;– [[University of Portsmouth]] and others. Accessed 10 December 2014</ref>

The whole parish is noted by the 1920s to be very well watered, and the north-eastern part draws on the natural advantage of a fairly flat landscape and water close to the surface from the Kennet. The soil remains a strength its inorganic layers being "gravel and the subsoil [impermeable] clay".<ref name=bh/> The local economy in the 1920s centred on the chief crops: wheat, barley, oats and roots.<ref name=bh/> These remain regular crops in Padworth alongside hay [[meadow]]s for livestock, horses and donkeys. Gravel extraction, education, agriculture, transport and tourism provide jobs in Padworth itself. Aldermaston railway station next to the village's hotel at [[Aldermaston Wharf]] serves two of these sectors. Commuting to towns, industrial, logistic and trading business centres is the most common source of employment as at the 2011 census, with for instance [[Reading, Berkshire|Reading]] and [[Newbury, Berkshire|Newbury]] about 20-3020–30 minutes away whether by rail or by access to the [[M4 motorway]].<ref name=ons/> Tadley also provides a major source of retail, leisure and general high street service employment, the nearest town.

The place is recorded in such documents as the [[Assize Rolls]] and national [[Feet of Fines]] (on property sale) as Peadanwurthe (10th century); Peteorde (11th century); Pedewurth (12th century); Padewrd, Padworze (13th century); Padesworth, Pappeworth (14th century).<ref name=bh>[http://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/berks/vol3/pp413-417 'Parishes: Padworth', in A History of the County of Berkshire: Volume 3] ed. P H Ditchfield and William Page (London, 1923), pp. 413-417413–417. Accessed 10 December 2014.</ref>

A secondary manor of Padworth (Hussey's) existed under John de la Husse in the 13th century, after whom it was named. It farmed at the [[Domesday Book|Domesday Survey]] 2½ [[hide (unit)|hides]], which was held of William de Ow by a man named 'Gozelin' and in this instance its Saxon era owner was recorded as 'Ælfstan' with its nominal dues ([[feudal system|that is, being held under]]) the crown (King [[Edward the Confessor]]). The period of titled bearers owning either manor was when the main manor (sometimes called Coudrays) was held by [[Tichborne baronets|Sir Benjamin Tichborne, bart.]] and the [[Forster baronets]] (1629-16811629–1681). The [[manor house]] is [[listed building|Grade II* listed (the mid-category)]].<ref name=eh>{{NHLE|num=1117314}} Padworth College (former manor house). Citing:<br />BOE, Berkshire, p. 191; Berkshire Architectural Guide, [[John Betjeman|Betjeman, John]] and [[John Piper (artist)|Piper, John]];<br />[[Country Life (books)|Country Life]], Vol. 52, pp. 342-348342–348, 372-378372–378, 414-417414–417</ref> It was built afresh in 1769 by designs of John Hobcraft. It has plasterwork by Joseph Rose. Its entrance is a double-height space, a staircase with a wrought iron [[balustrade]] to three sides. It has a vaulted 3-bay arched [[arcade (architecture)|arcades]]s on each floor to one side with [[Doric columns]] on the ground floor and columns with [[Adamesque]] capitals on the floor above.<ref name=eh/>

The Church of England parish church of [http://www.mortimerbenefice.org St John the Baptist] is aisleless and built about 1130 with two three-light [[Tudor period]] ornately carved windows and with its vestry and porch having been added in 1890. A smaller tudor window is pictured above, with two lights on the south-east square tower façade, above the font, which does not have the entrance. The roof of the nave was largely replaced in the 19th century.<ref name=bh/> Rare features include the Norman chancel arch and north and south doorways, the semi-domed apse and the 18th-century monuments.<ref>[[John Betjeman|Betjeman, John]], ed. (1968) ''Collins Pocket Guide to English Parish Churches; the South''. London: Collins; p. 114</ref> It is [[listed building|listed in the top category of listed building, Grade I]].<ref>{{NHLE|num=1155386}}</ref>

The church's [[advowson]] was from [[Pamber Priory|Priory of Monk Sherborne (Pamber Priory)]] by the year 1291 when various of its tithes and donations provided the Prior's pension.<ref name=bh/> Upon the [[Dissolution of the Monasteries]] the advowson was exercised by the Crown until the 19th century. A parish [[rentcharge]] totalling £250 in 1848 was received by the rector, the parishioners [[tithe|having commutated the tithes]]; the parish [[glebe]] stood at {{convert|28|acres|km2}}.<ref>[http://www.british-history.ac.uk/topographical-dict/england/pp525-530 'Padfield'] A Topographical Dictionary of England, ed. [[Samuel Lewis (publisher)]] (London, 1848), pp. 525-530525–530. Accessed 10 December 2014.</ref> By 1923 the rector's patron was the [[Lord Chancellor]].<ref name=bh/>

The ecclesiastical parish is united as part of the [[benefice#Church of England|benefice]] of Stratfield Mortimer, Mortimer West End and Padworth which has four churches and two church schools. The church alternates its Sunday service between 9 &nbsp;am Eucharist and 6.30 Evensong.<ref>[http://www.achurchnearyou.com/padworth-st-john-the-baptist/ Stratfield Mortimer and Mortimer West End Benefice: Parish of Padworth (St John the Baptist)] [[The Church of England]] Accessed 10 December 2014.]</ref>